Shocking figures show children visiting NHS dentists in Portsmouth is lagging behind the rest of England despite rise
NHS dental visits for Portsmouth children rises but remains low compared to the rest of England
Despite a rise in children seeing NHS dentists in Portsmouth over the past 12 months, figures reveals it still trails most regions in England.
The city has long been described as a ‘dental desert’ with moves made in recent years aimed at addressing it, including the University of Portsmouth being awarded 25 dental training places. However, despite Portsmouth having one of the biggest rises in children being seen by NHS dentists in England, it still sits fourth bottom in the country (not including London) with 50.2 per cent of children seen.
The figures from Single mother resource show that just over half the under-18s in the city were seen by an NHS dentist which is up from 44.6 per cent the year before. The rise means that 20,853 children were seen from March 2025 to March 2026.
Every council area in England was ranked for that time period using the latest NHS dental statistics, published by the NHS Business Services Authority in August. The results of which can be found below:
England’s five lowest figures outside London
- Somerset: 44.7 per cent of children seen
- Rutland: 48.0 per cent of children seen
- Devon: 48.2 per cent of children seen
- Portsmouth: 50.2 per cent of children seen
- Cumberland: 51.4 per cent of children seen
England’s five biggest rises in the share of children seen
- Isle of Wight: up 6.8 points, to 53.5 per cent
- Blackpool: up 6.5 points, to 57.4 per cent
- Portsmouth: up 5.6 points, to 50.2 per cent
- Herefordshire: up 5.3 points, to 54.0 per cent
- North Somerset: up 5.1 points, to 64.8 per cent
The figures are good and bad news for Portsmouth as the council and university continue to attempt to address the lack of NHS dentists in the city. It is hoped that the 25 new dental training places awarded to the University of Portsmouth will see students take root in the city and give back to the community once they have qualified. The video embedded in this article shows the visit by the then health secretary Stephen Kinnock to announce the new places.
The university’s facilities were also revamped in 2023 which has helped with its scheme of helping school children in the city.
A collaboration between Portsmouth City Council, the university, and local health commissioning partners will also see two new clinics open. Sites have been located in the high-need areas of Paulsgrove and Portsea with survey work ongoing to determine suitability.
Despite improvements, the latest figures show that their is a long way to go to improve dental access in the city. It is an issue that has dogged Portsmouth for years with The News launching the Kick in the Teeth campaign in 2019 to demand an overhaul in dentistry.
Across England there was a rise with 60 per cent of children seeing NHS dentists, up from 57.6 per cent the year before with improvements seen across the board. 150 of 151 council areas had improved figures.
Dawn Yates, a health cost expert at Single mothers resource, said: “It’s good to see so many children getting to an NHS dentist, because a lot of parents still don’t realise dental care is completely free for children. It’s also free while you’re pregnant and for a year after the birth, and for many families on Universal Credit.
“If your child hasn’t been seen for a while, the NHS website shows which dentists near you are taking on children, and if they’re in pain, NHS 111 can help you get an urgent appointment.”